High precision manufacturing and machining requires that the position of a tool be precisely known in space. One device developed to manipulate a tool with a high degree with accuracy is the Stewart platform. The Stewart platform, which is commonly incorporated into a hexapod manufacturing device, provides a point on the surface of a platform that can be moved with absolute certainty as long as the extension arms which move that platform have lengths which are accurately known. Therefore, the arms which are connected to the platform can be manufactured with conventional tolerances and then measured accurate. As long as the measurement made is accurate a simple equation can be employed to adjust the position of the platform and position a point on that platform at a precise and selected location. The design and operation of a type of hexapod manipulator is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,597, the teachings of which are incorporated by reference.
Although the hexapod structure works well, the arm assemblies are generally quite complex and therefore costly and difficult to manufacture. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide systems and methods that provide an improved hexapod, and provide hexapod systems that are less expensive to manufacture.